B1

Possibility (may/might/could) Exercises PDFSet 3: Speculation About the Present: May/Might/Could + Be + -ing

20 questions·14 min·Answers included·Explanations included

Preview: Questions

Fill in the blank with the correct option.

1.Tom isn't in his room. He ___ in the garden.

a) might be playingb) might playsc) might is playingd) might playing

2.I can hear music from next door. The neighbours ___.

a) could having a partyb) could be have a partyc) could be having a partyd) could are having a party

3.She's been in the meeting room for hours. She ___ a new project.

a) may planningb) may be planningc) may be pland) may is planning

4.Why is the dog barking? Someone ___ at the door.

a) might standingb) might be standingc) might be stoodd) might is standing

5.I can smell something burning. Dad ___ dinner.

a) could cookingb) could is cookingc) could be cookingd) could be cook

... and 15 more questions in the PDF

Preview: Answers

1.might be playing

2.could be having a party

3.may be planning

4.might be standing

5.could be cooking

... and 15 more answers in the PDF

Preview: Explanations

1."might be playing"(a)

Use 'might + be + -ing' to speculate about an action that is possibly happening now. The structure is: modal + be + verb-ing.

2."could be having a party"(c)

Use 'could + be + -ing' to guess what is happening now. Never put 'are' after 'could' — the structure is: could + be + verb-ing.

3."may be planning"(b)

'May be planning' speculates about an ongoing activity. After a modal verb, use 'be + -ing', not 'is + -ing'.

4."might be standing"(b)

'Might be standing' speculates about what is happening right now. The correct form is: might + be + -ing.

5."could be cooking"(c)

'Could be cooking' speculates about an action in progress. The structure is: could + be + verb-ing.

... and 15 more explanations in the PDF

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